Finally done!

This is the hoodie for our friend Ellen that I was working on for ages (since the end of August, actually!). I was working on it right up until the day before we left the country (December fifth), which, now that I think about it, isn't that bad, for me - just over three months! I'm not a fast knitter. Or maybe I just read too many blogs and don't spend enough time MAKING! It was so last-minute that I finished it at our friends' house. Ellen was watching me sew on the last few clips (the buttons are just for show), and asked who it was for. I said, actually, it's for you! She was pleased about that, which was gratifying. =)

Ellen agreed to pose with it on (also wearing a skirt I made a year or two ago for her...)

...and with the hood on too. Looks warm enough to me. I made a size six-ish, even though she's only four. Can't have her growing out of it too soon, although then her little sister could wear it... Anyway, blah blah, just wanted to document here that: I FINISHED THIS PROJECT!!!!!

Feels good to finally post here again. I am slowly getting on my feet here in Steinbach (Manitoba, Canada). I kind of measure that in terms of how much craft stuff I have! I actually bought a sewing maching, my fist ever, and am looking forward to doing some small sewing/patchwork projects. (Until now I've always borrowed my Mum's.) We hit Michael's, the Spotlight equivalent, and Chapers, the Borders equivalent, yesterday. Bought a few cool books, one on two-colour quilts (the desire to make a red and white quilted bedspread has hit with a vengeance, even though the scale of such a project is scary). Also found Denise Schmidt's Quilt-It kit for ten bucks. Even found Nigella Lawson's 'Feast', which is a totally delectable recipe book - I am in love with it - can't wait to cook some stuff. Bought this gorgeous story for a friend - such a beautiful story, with exquisite illustrations. Made me weepy!

I have also been gathering ideas from various magazines: Blueprint, Canadian House and Home, Canadian Living, and Martha Stewart Living. I've taken to cutting out whatever catches my eye and pasting them into a scrapbook, so I can begin to have a clearer sense of my own aesthetic. I had a conversation with my husband a few days ago about my creativity and my compulsive desire to give gifts to people, during which he made the radical suggestion that I spend this whole year just making things for myself. Wow! Unheard of, for me! I've pretty much decided I will try this, within reason, and after having finished the gifts I have on the go, and not including making cards for friends and family, which I really want to do, given I am far away from them at the moment! Already this idea changed the way I approach creating anything, in really good ways. No doubt I'll wax eloquent about the experience in future posts.

I have been making stuff, in amongst reading and gathering ideas and mulling over creativity: cards with vintage maps and various scrapbook supplies, and two things for my parents - vaguely timed for their 30th wedding anniversary, although I'm late already. Will post about those gifts later. I have ideas for painting flowers pots, and a feature canvas (red and white). I am soooo on a red kick at the moment! Am hoping that I can pull off Moonstitches' gorgeous zakka style owl hanging with thrifted fabrics.

Anyway, that's enough raving on for now! I will post soon about my lovely parcel from Sew, Mama, Sew and the thrift-shop bargains I've been finding. And hey, maybe even more stuff I've been making too! Catchya...